Supporting or display rack or stand.



PATENTED AUG. 25, 1908.

M. E. HILL. SUPPORTING O RDISPLAYY RACK 0B STAND- APPLICATION FILED MAYlG, 1907.

22? l/gl WITNESSES GK.

Allarm RRIS FETERS c0., wAsnmcrou, o. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MARK E. HILL, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE OOLLAPSIBLE HANGER COMPANY, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, A CORPORATION OF VIRGINIA.

SUPPORTING OR DISPLAY RACK OR STAND.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 25, 1908 Application filed May 16, 1907. Serial No. 373,960.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MARK E. HILL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Washington, in the District of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Supporting or Display Racks or Stands, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to supporting or display racks or stands, and particularly contemplates the provision of an improved rack or hanger for meats, provisions or other articles, which is adapted, in use, to support large quantities of material in position for attractive display, and immediate access, and when not in use, to be readily collapsed so as to occupy a very small amount of space.

The invention generally comprises a supporting upright and a plurality of hanger arms normally extending horizontally therefrom, such arms being readily removable for cleansing or other purposes, and easily adjustable vertically of the u right, or from an operative to a folded or collapsed position.

The invention further consists in the features of construction and arrangement hereinafter described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which like numerals designate like parts throughout the several views, and in which,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a stand or rack embodying my invention, the arms being shown in an operative position. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view through a portion of the supporting upright and one of the supporting collars, and showing an arm supported thereby. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section through the supporting upright, showing a modified form of supporting collar. Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 2, illustrating modified means for supporting a hanger arm, and Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4, showing another modified form of hanger arm and support.

In the practical embodiment of my invention, I provide a supporting upright 1, preferably cylindrical in form, and hollow as illustrated. This upright may be either suspended as from a track or way, or it may have its upper end closed by means of a cap 2, and be either rigidly or rotatably mounted on a stand 3. Where the upright is rotatably mounted on the stand, suitable roller or other bearings may be advantageously employed to insure the free rotation of the upright, even when heavily loaded. The upright is designed to support a plurality of hanger or supporting arms, 4, extending when in an operative position, in a substantially horizontal plane outward from said upright.

The arms v4 are each associated with a supporting collar 5, which encircles the upright 1, said arms being provided with an offset extension 6, adapted to engage a fixed portion of the upright as shown. This extension may be advantageously provided with a hooked end 6*, to prevent accidental longitudinal movement of the arms 4. The collars 5 are further provided with spaced horizontally extending ears or brackets 7, forming a pivotal support for the arms 4 adjacent their inner ends. These ears or brackets 7, are provided with alined recesses 9 in the upper edges thereof and the arm 4 is provided with trunnions 10, adapted to engage within the inner alined recesses 9 when in the operative position, and to have its hooked end 6 within a slot 12 in the upright, as illustrated, thus supporting the collar, which in turn supports the arm at its pivotal point as shown. disengaged from the collar by simply moving the outer end thereof upward until the hooked inner end 6 is withdrawn from the recess 8, when the whole arm may be lifted from its support, and the trunnions 10 inserted within the outer alined recesses 9, said arm being then allowed to hang downward, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2.

The modified form of supporting collar illustrated in Fig. 3 provides a plurality of symmetrically arranged pairs of outstanding ears or brackets 7 radiating from the collar, each being provided with the alined recesses 9 hereinbefore described.

The form of my invention illustrated in Fig. 4 provides a collar 5, having spaced outstanding ears or brackets 7, connected ad jacent their outer ends, by means of a trans verse pin 13, the arm in this form of my invention being provided with a slot 14, con necting with a longitudinal opening 15, in which the pin works. The arm 4 is further provided with the offset extension 6, and hooked end 6 engaging within the slot 12, as in the form of my invention illustrated in Fig. 3. To disengage the arm 4, it is first tilted upward to release its hooked end 6 and is then drawn outward upon the pin 13,

The arm 4 may be readilyuntil the hooked end can pass upward between the .ears or brackets 7, when the arm may be dropped to rest in a vertical position.

The form of my invention illustrated in Fig. 5, provides a collar 5 having a single outstanding bracket 16, which is provided with an offset hooked end 17, forming a support for the arm 4 adjacent the bend 18. The extension 6 is provided with the hooked end 6 for the purpose hereinbefore specified. The arm 4 in this modification of my invention is released by merely raising it out of engagement with the hook 17, and withdrawing the extension 6 from the opening 12.

The arms 4 may be providedihroughout their length, or at any point thereon, with 'hooks 19, or other supporting or securing means, to hold the articles as desired.

It will be obvious that the upright 1 may be provided with a single collar, instead of a plurality of collars, and that each collar may support either a single arm, or any desired number of arms.

While I have illustrated my invention in connection with a rack or stand having a single upright, and this supported from below, it is to be understood that my invention is not restricted. to these or other details illustrated byway of example, but contemplates broadly the features of construction and arrangement hereinafter defined in the claims appended hereto.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim:

1. A device of the character described,

comprising an upright, having a lurality of openings therein, one or more col ars mounted upon said upright, and one or more arms supported intermediate the length thereof by said collars, the inner ends of said arms being adapted to engage within the said openings to normally maintain said arms inoperative position.

2. A device of the character described, comprising an upright, having a lurality of openings therein, one or more col ars mounted upon said upright and one or more arms supported intermediate the length thereof by said collars, said arms having hooked inner ends adapted to enter selected openings in said upright and normally maintain the arms in operative relation and prevent outward movement thereof 3. A device of the character described, comprising an upright having a plurality of openings therein, one or more collars mounted upon said upright and one or more arms supported intermediate the length thereof by said collars, the inner ends of said arms being adapted to extend beneath said collars and within said openings to maintain said arms in operative position and to support said collars.

4. A device of the character described, comprising an upright, one or more collars slidably arranged thereon, one or more arms adapted to be pivotally supported by said collars at a plurality of points at different distances from said upright, the inner ends of said arms being adapted to engage with said upright while sup orted in one position on said collars, to ho (1 said arms in operative position and to support said collars and cause the same to frictionally engage said upright, substantially as described.

5. A device of the character described, comprising an upright, one or more collars slidably and adjustably mounted thereon and one or more supporting arms removably sup orted thereby, said collars being provided wit 1 spaced outstanding brackets, having pairs of alined recesses, said arms having trunnions adapted to engage within a selected pair of said recesses, the inner ends of said arms being adapted to engage said upright to normally maintain said arms in operative position.

6. A device of the character described, comprising an upright, having a plurality of openings therein, one or more collars slidably and adjustably mounted on said upright, and one or more supporting arms removably supported thereby, said collars being provided with spaced outstanding arms having pairs of alined recesses, said arms having trunnions adapted to engage within a selected pair of 

